


Sparks

by BDBriggs



Category: World of Warcraft
Genre: Gen, See notes for a more complete summary, Self-indulgent fluff, tags will be added as they appear
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-09-30
Updated: 2018-12-03
Packaged: 2019-07-20 19:37:25
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 8,764
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16144100
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BDBriggs/pseuds/BDBriggs
Summary: A person's identity can stem from many different things. People typically identify themselves by their race, gender, or occupation. Perhaps one's family is important to their identity, or the types of things they do for fun.Some people's identities are defined and developed by their friendships. Aiden is one such person.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Okay! I'm super excited to finally post this. I've been working on it for a long time. These two are OCs of mine that I've had since I was a kid, and I'm just now putting their story into writing. Bear with me as I attempt to reconcile backstory I thought up when I was 10 with timelines and plot elements that actually make sense. Despite the challenge, I cannot wait to share the life of two of my favorite OCs. 
> 
> I'll mention some general information. I am shamelessly borrowing Rhonin and Vereesa as Aiden's mentors and pseudo-parents. This story is not really /about/ Rhonin or Vereesa, so if you came here for their tags, I'm sorry. They (especially Rhonin) will be featured throughout the story, however. The story starts roughly 10 years ago, when Wrath of the Lich King was released and adventurers would have been visiting Dalaran for the first time. 
> 
> Aiden's backstory seems...odd. He mentions things, but never fully explains them. That's intentional. More and more of who and what he is will be revealed throughout this story. Essentially; the reader finds things out along with the characters. This story will follow Aiden's life, from his perspective, but through the lens of his friendship with Caspian.

Aiden scowled and crossed his arms, fully aware that he was pouting, but annoyed enough that he didn’t quite care. He flopped dramatically onto the couch, huffing loudly for good measure. His mentor, Rhonin, merely rolled his eyes and walked off. Aiden _hated_ being forced to make small talk with people, and his mentor was forcing him to do just that. One of Rhonin’s old friends from Lordaeron, Briggs, had shown up in Dalaran a few weeks prior. A quick reunion in the Violet Citadel had turned into hours and hours of the two chatting and laughing in one of the gardens. Rhonin and Vereesa had invited her and her two children over to dinner, and so Aiden had been dragged out to meet them.

He really wasn’t thrilled with the idea of socializing. He had never been a social butterfly; he preferred to keep to his books, as most mages in the city did. Rhonin had taken over his schooling, with help from a few other mages, and that was all Aiden really wanted. There were a few children his age that lived in the city, but not many, so he’d never gone to school or spent much time with anyone his age. Because of this, he had absolutely no interest in being forced to meet Briggs’ children. Rhonin told him that the younger of the two, Stephania, was his age, and her elder brother was three years older than both of them. His mentor had nearly begged him to make an effort to socialize with Stephania.

And so, Aiden sat on the couch pouting.

Rhonin appeared out of nowhere and plopped a heavy book on his lap. Aiden jumped, startled, and frowned at his mentor.

“I’ll make you a deal,” Rhonin offered. Aiden blinked at him blankly. “You can read this and not pay any attention to us, if you really want to. But you have to sit out here with us until they leave.” Rhonin raised one brow, silently asking if he’d accept the terms.

Aiden considered it. “I can’t read very well when people are in the room, talking,” he said slowly. “What would the point be?”

Rhonin shrugged. “I know. The point is that you can have something to hide behind if you get too uncomfortable. _They_ don’t know that you can’t pay attention to it while they’re talking.”

“Wouldn’t it be weird for me to just…sit here, reading?” Aiden pointed out.

Rhonin waved his hand dismissively. “It’s no big deal. I can always tell them you have a lot of work to do. I’m sure Briggs will see through it, but the kids likely won’t pay it any mind. So, deal or no deal?”

Aiden frowned in thought. Would the awkwardness of sitting there reading be better than actually socializing? He had no idea what the two teenagers were like, what their interests were, or anything of the sort. He couldn’t talk about magic with them, like he could with anyone in Dalaran. Furthermore, Briggs intimidated him. The woman was about average height, but obviously quite strong. She carried twin daggers on her belt and, from the stories he’d heard, she knew how to use them efficiently. Also, her eyes missed nothing; Aiden felt like she noticed every last one of his nervous ticks when he’d met her a few days ago.

“Deal,” Aiden said slowly, thankful for his mentor’s patience. “Thank you.”

Rhonin nodded and squeezed his shoulder. “I would still appreciate it if you made an attempt to socialize, but I understand you’re uncomfortable around most people. Vereesa and I are willing to try and make things a little easier for you, when we can.”

Aiden looked down at the floor, overwhelmed by the kind gesture. “Thank you,” he said again, softer this time. Rhonin squeezed his shoulder one last time before joining Vereesa in the kitchen. Aiden curled his feet underneath him and opened the heavy text to start reading. If he wanted to be convincing, he may as well start reading so it looked like he’d been reading for a while. That way if he was asked what the book was about, he would be able to answer.

Briggs arrived not long after Rhonin disappeared into the kitchen. Aiden watched, bemused, as his mentor rushed to open the door and then buried his shorter friend in a hug. Rhonin typically wasn’t touchy-feely with people other than his family, so it was strange to see him so open with his affection for her. They must have been close before Rhonin lived in Dalaran, Aiden surmised.

Aiden stood respectfully when Briggs and her children walked into the room. He shyly approached them, taking care not to wring his hands nervously in front of them. Briggs smiled gently at him.

“Hello again, Aiden,” Briggs said cheerfully. She nudged her daughter towards him with her elbow. “This is Steph! She’s twelve, like you.”

Steph was the spitting image of her mother. She had the same richly tanned skin, cranberry red hair, and dark brown eyes. The biggest differences between the two were their height and that Steph’s hair was pulled back into a flat ponytail, rather than the bun her mother favored. She looked significantly stronger than Aiden, which was disconcerting considering she was _twelve_ and had no business having muscles that large.

All the same, Aiden smiled politely and shook her hand when she offered it. Briggs and Rhonin both looked a little disappointed at the exchange, but neither voiced their displeasure.

Briggs put her hand on her son’s shoulder. “And this is Caspian. He’s a little older than you,” she said.

Caspian was about as tall as his mother, and starting to become a little broader than her. He looked strong, but not as ridiculously muscled as his sister. He had blue eyes, brown hair that didn’t quite reach his shoulders, and a crooked nose that had obviously been broken and not set right. His skin was paler than his mother’s and sister’s, but still tanned from spending time in the sun. He grinned somewhat lopsidedly at Aiden, one corner of his mouth pulling upwards further than the other, and offered his hand to shake. Aiden shook his hand and smiled a little shyly at him.

“Aiden unfortunately has some reading to get through, tonight, but he’ll sit out here with us,” Rhonin told them. Briggs nodded in acceptance, a bemused smile on her face; she definitely recognized the excuse for what it was. Stephania also nodded, buying into the excuse. Caspian’s eyes flickered and lingered on Aiden for a moment, but he nodded, too. Aiden felt butterflies explode in his stomach. Had he realized it was an excuse? Would Caspian call him out on it, or dislike him for it?

Aiden focused on pushing the anxiety down. There was nothing he could do now. He sat back down on the couch, next to Rhonin’s usual spot, and opened his book to where he left off. He of course heard everything as Vereesa came in from the kitchen and greeted the three, but he was determined to look like he was studying. It got a little harder when Vereesa brought the twins out from their nursery and there was an explosion of noise from the two-year-olds.

He rolled his eyes at their antics. _Everyone_ loved the twins, and Briggs’s family was no exception. When Vereesa set out a few of the twins’ toys on the rug near the couches, Stephania plopped right down on the floor and joined in. Briggs sat on the far end of the couch across from Aiden, occasionally reaching down to play with the twins. Caspian sat on her left, chiming in on the conversation here and there. Aiden expected his mentor to sit in his usual chair on his end of the coffee table, farthest away from the twins and all the noise, but Rhonin waved him towards it. Aiden sent him a grateful smile and plopped down into it. Rhonin sat on the second couch across from Briggs, and Vereesa sat on the floor with the twins.

Aiden slowly read his book as the others talked, but half-listened to the conversation. Briggs proudly announced that Steph was being trained as a paladin in Stormwind’s cathedral—which explained the muscles. Caspian, on the other hand, seemed rather directionless. He was trained with a sword and shield, as well as a broadsword, but held no huge interest in becoming an adventurer like his mother or a soldier in Stormwind’s army. He apparently loved to read, Briggs teasing that he read books faster than she could obtain them, but was not interested in any scholarly pursuits. He also played the lute, but didn’t want to be a minstrel. Aiden noted that, while Briggs seemed a little exasperated at his lack of direction, she didn’t seem disappointed.

Around that point, Aiden reached a particularly interesting part of his book; the second chapter was about relations between mortals and dragons. Considering his own draconic heritage, Aiden couldn’t help getting engrossed in it. He tuned out the conversation around him, the chatter moving to the back of his mind. He wasn’t typically able to get so absorbed in reading when people were around, but the subject matter was enough to gain his attention. He lost track of time as he read.

Out of nowhere, someone said, “What’s your book about?”

Aiden jumped, startled. His head snapped up and he stared with wide eyes at Caspian, who had scooted along the couch to sit next to him.

Caspian frowned, and his brows furrowed. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to startle you. What’s it about?” He asked again, motioning to the book.

Aiden straightened from the hunched position he’d unknowingly curled himself into. “It’s—it’s history. Political history, I guess. The chapter I’m on is about interactions between mortals and dragons.”

“Ooh,” Caspian leaned forward to get a better look, “that’s interesting.”

Aiden raised a brow and gave him an odd look. Political history was interesting? Even _he_ wasn’t terribly interested in it until it involved dragons.

Caspian shrugged almost sheepishly. “I’m a history nerd.”

Ah. Right, Briggs had mentioned that he loved to read. Apparently, he read history books. Aiden leaned towards him and angled the book so that Caspian could see and flipped to the title page. “Here’s the title, if you wanted it.” Caspian leaned towards him to get a better look and hummed his thanks.

“Do you read much history?” Caspian asked.

Aiden shrugged. “I guess so. I mostly read books about the arcane, but I need to read history for my studies from time to time.” He paused for a second, grasping for something to say that would be polite. “Do you have a favorite type of history?” He asked.

Caspian hummed in thought. “I like elven history, of any kind. My mom talks a lot about her adventures and whatnot, and I loved it the most when she talked about night elves. And then she told me about high elves and blood elves, and how the three are related; their history is fascinating to me”

Aiden nodded in agreement. “Vereesa talks a lot about her people’s history. I didn’t understand the tensions between high elves and blood elves at first, until she explained it to me. Rhonin also shoved a whole bunch of books on the subject in my direction.”

Caspian snorted in amusement. “Does he make you read a lot?” He asked.

Aiden shrugged. “Yes, but I don’t really mind it. A lot of the books he sends my way aren’t so much required as, ‘you seemed curious about this subject so here’s a book that explains it.’”

“Ah,” Caspian nodded. “That makes sense. I started reading a lot when I was a kid, when I got really sick for a long time. I didn’t feel well enough to get up and do things, so I would read my mom’s books. When I finished those, she started bringing me books from the library, just on any subject she could find. I liked the history books that explained things I had heard from her stories, you know?”

“Yeah,” Aiden agreed, “I like things about dragons because—” _because they’re my people_ , he’d nearly said. He frowned. That would _not_ be a smart thing to say. “—well, Rhonin and Vereesa deal with a lot of dragons,” he said instead, “and I like to know about them.” He held his breath, waiting to see if Caspian would take note of his slip up.

Caspian smiled at him, either not noticing or not caring about his mistake. “Right! My mom told me a lot about Rhonin, and I wanted to ask both of them about their adventure, but I didn’t want to seem rude.”

Aiden rolled his eyes. “Oh, Light, Rhonin _loves_ to tell the story. He actually hated talking about it to begin with, but he’s gotten better about it. I used to ask for it as a bedtime story.” Caspian chuckled. “Seriously, if you listen to him, he will tell it. And he doesn’t exaggerate, I don’t think. Vereesa says, if anything, he belittles himself a lot.”

“A lot of heroes do,” Caspian said. “My mom does the same thing. It drives me and Steph crazy. We want to hear about _how_ she killed the giant rock behemoth in Outlands! Not, ‘I killed a rock giant in Hellfire Peninsula the other day, it took me five minutes.’” Aiden laughed when Caspian fisted his hands in his hair and tugged exaggeratedly. “She’s the _worst_ at telling her own stories, sometimes. If you ask her what night elves are like, she can give you a two-hour description of Teldrassil, but if you ask her how she killed something, she will tell you, ‘with my daggers.’” Caspian smacked his palm against his forehead, and Aiden covered his mouth with his hand to smother his laughter.

“Do you think she does it to annoy you?” Aiden asked when he’d gotten his laughter under control.

Caspian scratched at the scraggly beginnings of a beard on his chin. “You know, I’m half convinced she is. At first, it seemed she genuinely didn’t want to describe violent things to us, but over time I’ve gotten to think maybe she doesn’t know how. It really drives me and Steph crazy, though, so you’re probably right that she pesters us with it.”

Aiden grinned. “Rhonin’s similar. If he knows that something bothers me, as long as it doesn’t genuinely upset me, he’ll do it just to push my buttons.”

Caspian barked out a laugh. “Like what?”

Aiden huffed. “Okay, it drives me _nuts_ when he leaves his quill on his desk without wiping the ink off. I just—it’s so messy! There have been so many times that I’ve smudged ink all over a book or something because I put it on his desk not realizing there was a puddle of ink left from his quill. He has a stand for his quill! And he has a cloth to wipe it on!”

Caspian hugged his arms around his middle and laughed hard. “Oh, that’s the _worst_. He does it to annoy you?”

“Yes!” Aiden burst out. “He only ever does it anymore when I’m sharing his desk with him! And he puts the quill _on the left side_ of the desk, where I sit, even though he’s right-handed!” Caspian slapped his knee and laughed harder. Aiden grinned when he realized the older boy was absolutely shaking with mirth. He looked up at Rhonin, who appeared to be listening to their conversation with one ear, and stuck his tongue out at him. Rhonin just grinned and made a little heart with his hands, causing Caspian to laugh even harder.

When Caspian calmed down, he turned back to the book. “ _Race Relations: The History of Political Relationships in Azeroth_. How in the world am I going to remember that?” Caspian grumbled.

Aiden snickered. “It’s a pretty ridiculous title. Do you want me to write it down for you?”

“If you don’t mind,” Caspian said. “Maybe you could write down some of the elven history books you had to read, if you can remember their names?”

Aiden nodded. “I have parchment in my room. I’ll be right back; let me write down the ones I can remember for you.” He set his book down on the coffee table and stood. “I’ll be right back,” he promised Rhonin. He rushed into his room and scrambled to locate his parchment, quill, and ink, and set to writing the titles down.

The door to his room opened with a squeak behind him. He glanced behind him to see Caspian in the doorway. “Rhonin told me we could stay in here until dinner,” Caspian said, “may I come in?”

Aiden shrugged and patted his bed. “Sure, go ahead and sit down. I don’t really have anywhere besides my bed to sit, sorry.”

“It’s alright,” Caspian reassured him. “Oh, and I brought your book for you. Do…do you really need to read it tonight?”

Aiden hesitated. So Caspian _had_ seen through the excuse for what it was. “Not really,” he admitted. It’s probably something that’s coming up next in my lessons, but it was mostly something to hide behind.” He sat on the bed, too.

Caspian cocked his head to the side. “My mom mentioned that you were really, really shy. She asked Steph to try and make friends, but she didn’t really make an attempt, did she?” Aiden shook his head. “So I decided to give it a go. I’m glad I did, too!” Caspian grinned at him. “It’s really nice to talk about history with someone else who’s interested in it.”

Aiden blushed, more because of Caspian’s beaming smile than any real embarrassment. “I’m glad, too,” he said softly. “You’re not as scary as your sister.”

Caspian snorted. “Why’s Steph scary?”

Aiden flushed further. “I—I don’t know!” He huffed, now fully embarrassed. “Forget I said anything.”

Caspian scooted towards him, their knees nearly touching. “No, hey, I just want to understand. I wasn’t making fun of you. Why’s she scary?”

Aiden shrugged and didn’t say anything. He looked down at his lap, where his hands were beginning to shake with anxiety. Caspian nudged him gently with his shoulder. “I dunno. She’s really strong. And she looks a lot like your mom, and…I guess I was intimidated by your mom when I met her, so…” He trailed off with another shrug.

“Steph’s not so bad,” Caspian said quietly. “She’s a little bit of a brute, sometimes. She’s way stronger than I am, even though she’s younger, but she’s really sweet. To be honest, I think she’s nicer than me. And my mom—well, it’s kind of her job to look intimidating. She’s essentially a mercenary; you’re not going to hire a sweet, cheery lady to kill orcs or undead for you, you know?”

Aiden huffed out a small laugh. “I guess that makes sense.”

Caspian hummed. “My mom was…sort of worried about you? I guess Rhonin talked a lot about you.”

Aiden frowned. “Worried?”

“Yeah,” Caspian shrugged, “she said you were really shy and closed off, and she said something about you having an abusive father, though she didn’t go into details. I’m not sure how much Rhonin told her, but both of them seemed concerned by how timid you were earlier.” Aiden had noticed; he recalled their disappointed faces after he shook Steph’s hand earlier. “My mom told us to be really careful with you and to not overwhelm you, but to try and reach out. I’m not sure why Steph bailed. Maybe she noticed you seemed uncomfortable around her? I somehow doubt she’s observant enough to have noticed, but it’s possible.”

Aiden frowned further. “I didn’t know Rhonin had said anything to your mom about that.” Had he told her exactly who and what he was? Was his secret out?

Caspian put a reassuring hand on his back. “I don’t think he said much in the way of details,” he reassured him, “just—my mom seemed concerned. And if she’s concerned about you, that means she likes you, so I don’t think you need to be afraid of her.” Aiden nodded, but couldn’t think of anything to say in response. It was extremely reassuring to hear that Briggs didn’t dislike him. Caspian sat with him for a few moments, rubbing his back reassuringly, before breaking the silence. “Did you happen to write those books down?”

The two of them ended up sharing titles of books they’d read and swapping stories that they’d heard from their parents until dinner. When Rhonin called them to the table, Aiden shyly asked him if he could abandon his usual seat at Rhonin’s side so that he could sit with Caspian, much to his mentor’s amusement. After dinner, they slipped back into Aiden’s room and continued talking, this time sharing stories about themselves. Caspian was an amazing storyteller; Aiden was sure he’d never laughed so hard in his life as he did at his stories. He pulled his fair share of laughter out of Caspian, though, to his satisfaction.

Both boys were thoroughly disappointed when Briggs announced it was time to leave. Caspian engulfed him in a tight hug before he left and thanked him for the list of books, which he had folded up and put in his pocket. Aiden waved goodbye to the three of them, genuinely sad that they’d had to leave. It was quiet for a few beats after the door closed behind them, until Rhonin turned to Aiden with a single brow raised.

“So,” Rhonin crossed his arms, “what do you think of Caspian?”

Aiden mulled over his words. How to describe the older boy? “He’s funny,” he said after a moment, “and he likes history!”

Rhonin’s lips quirked. “I noticed,” he said drily, “you two talked about history books for hours.”

Aiden blushed. “It was fun, though. After dinner, he told a bunch of stories that were really funny. I don’t think I’ve ever laughed that hard before.”

Rhonin smiled. “I’m glad. You two seemed to get along pretty well. I’m surprised, to be honest. I thought you’d like Stephania more.”

Aiden shrugged, unwilling to admit he’d been intimidated by her and Briggs. “Caspian is…” he trailed off, searching for words. “I don’t know. He was really easy to talk to.”

“You don’t usually attach to people that quickly,” Rhonin said. “I’m glad you two got along so well. Perhaps we should invite them over again sometime?”

A beaming smile stretched across Aiden’s face. “I would really like that,” he said.

Rhonin grinned. “I’ll talk to Briggs about it, then.”

Aiden already looked forward to it.


	2. Sleepover

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Aiden and Caspian spend some quality time together and get to know each other better.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oof, this is a long one! It's not terribly plot-centric...it's just fluff. The next chapter should have more meat to it.

Aiden rolled his eyes at his mentor in exasperation. Briggs had invited Aiden to stay a weekend with Caspian at their home in Elwynn Forest, and Rhonin was so far treating it like another one of Aiden’s lessons. First, Rhonin had instructed Aiden on how to make a portal to Stormwind, leaving him a little drained. Being drained wasn’t a huge deal; he hadn’t majorly overtaxed himself, and he’d be fine after a little food and rest, but it was a little annoying to be exhausted at the start of a big weekend. Next, Rhonin had practically taken him on a tour of the city, treating it like a history lesson. He already knew so much of Stormwind’s history, for Light’s sake. Aiden tolerated his mentor’s lecture, however; it _was_ fun to go through a new city and see all the points of interest. He admired the bright white buildings and colored-tile roofs, dipped his fingers in the cool canals, watched the huge multitude of people moving through the streets, and gaped in awe at the statues in front of the city. Aiden had met Khadgar in Dalaran but was unprepared to see the statue of Vereesa’s sister across from the mage’s statue.

Rhonin gave him a brief lecture on the five heroes, and what had happened to them, after which he leaned in conspiratorially and said, “Maybe we’ll keep any talk of Alleria between us? I don’t want to upset Vereesa,” to which Aiden agreed readily.

Then they’d ridden through Elwynn Forest. Briggs’ home was on the far side of the forest, near Eastvale Logging Camp, so it was a little bit of a long ride. Rhonin gave him a rundown of all the foes that lived in the forest; from wolves to murlocs to Defias thieves. Aiden couldn’t help rolling his eyes at his mentor. Even on a Friday evening, when they were supposed to be done with lessons for the week, Rhonin just couldn’t help lecturing him.

“Don’t give me that look,” Rhonin grinned at him, “I’m trying to help you, here.”

Aiden grinned back. “It’s Friday! We’re supposed to be done with lessons and you’ve done nothing but lecture me!”

Rhonin shrugged unapologetically. “When else will I get the chance to teach you about Elwynn Forest like this? It’s as good a time as any!” Aiden conceded the point, but he still rolled his eyes again. “We should be getting close,” Rhonin added.

Sure enough, the path they were on widened into a large clearing, where two buildings sat on opposite sides of the clearing. One was a standard two-story house with a porch in front. The other, much larger, building was a barn. Briggs had mentioned her love of animals many a time, so Aiden assumed the barn housed her many mounts.

Aiden felt butterflies flutter in his stomach; he couldn’t help being nervous. He’d never slept over at anyone else’s home before. He’d been away from Rhonin and Vereesa multiple times when they’d been called away to fight, but he’d hardly ever left Dalaran before. It was just nerve-wracking to be away from home, without his parents.

As if reading his thoughts, Rhonin reigned his horse closer to him. “You’ll be fine, Aiden. Caspian has stayed the night with us multiple times, so it’s not like you’re unfamiliar with him. Briggs will take good care of you.”

Aiden sighed. “Briggs makes me nervous,” he admitted quietly.

Rhonin frowned. “Briggs has nothing but your best interest at heart,” he promised. He reigned his horse to a stop, prompting Aiden to do the same. “Aiden, you don’t need to fear Briggs. I absolutely trust her to keep you safe; you wouldn’t be here otherwise.” Aiden looked down at his hands and fiddled with the reins. “I know she can be a little intimidating at first, but that’s just who she is. She knows you’re shy and uncomfortable around people, though she doesn’t fully understand why, and I know she’ll do her best to make you feel at home.”

Aiden nodded, unsure if he could trust his voice. Tears were already threatening to spill down his cheeks—why couldn’t he get through a single emotional conversation without crying? He angrily wiped at his eyes.

Before either of them could say anything, the door to the house swung open, accompanied by a shout from inside. Caspian appeared in the doorway, grinning from ear to ear. “Mom!” He yelled over his shoulder, “they’re here!” He bounded off the porch to meet them, helpfully holding their horses’ reins while they dismounted. He offered Aiden a quick hug before tugging on the reins. “I’ll go put these two away in the barn, if you’d like?”

“Thank you! Just Aiden’s,” Rhonin said, “I’ll be riding back to Stormwind in a few moments.” Aiden went to follow his mentor into the house and was surprised when Rhonin nudged him towards Caspian. Rhonin smiled at him. “Go play!” He said, nudging him again.

Aiden shot him a grateful smile before jogging to catch up with Caspian, who had already made it inside the barn. Aiden slipped inside and made his way over to where Caspian was tying Rhonin’s horse to a railing. “Anything I can do to help?” Aiden asked.

Caspian looked up and grinned at him. “Nah, I’ve got it, thanks. Go ahead and sit down, there’s hay bales over there,” he pointed with his thumb over one shoulder. Aiden heaved himself up onto a bale and watched Caspian work. He obviously knew his way around the horses; he stripped the tack from Aiden’s horse, rubbed her down, and had her situated in a stall in barely any time at all. He also set out some water for Rhonin’s horse. When he was done, he made his way over to Aiden and climbed up onto the bale to sit beside him.

“Are you okay?” Caspian asked.

Aiden blinked, startled. “I—yes? Why?” He had been quiet while Caspian had put the horses away, true, but he wasn’t upset; he had just been watching.

Caspian hesitated. “Well—when you got here, you looked like you’d been crying,” he said carefully.

Aiden blushed and looked away. “Oh,” he said, unsure of what to say. He didn’t particularly want to admit that he’d told Rhonin he was still afraid of Briggs, especially when Caspian had tried to reassure him about it months ago, back when they’d first met. He also didn’t want to admit that he just cried easily, especially in emotional conversations.

“You don’t have to talk about it if you don’t want,” Caspian rushed to reassure him, “I just wanted to know if you were alright.”

Aiden gave him a watery smile. “I’m—I’m mostly okay. I just…” He sighed. “I mentioned to Rhonin that I’m intimidated by your mom,” he admitted. “I know you and he have both reassured me, but I can’t help it.”

Caspian frowned. “I’m really sorry she makes you nervous. What can I do to make it better?”

Aiden shrugged. “I really don’t know. I probably just need to spend more time around her? And get used to her?” He sighed and rubbed at his eyes, which were already watery again. “It wouldn’t have been quite such an issue on any other day, but Rhonin made me make us a portal to Stormwind, which drained me of mana a little bit. I’m already pretty drained from my lessons this week, and it just—it started this whole trip off on the wrong foot.” He heaved another, heavier sigh and pulled his hands away from his face. He stared down into his lap, unable to look at his friend. “I’m sorry, Caspian. I didn’t mean to be such a downer. I’ll be fine after a little food.”

Caspian pulled him into a hug. “I’m sorry, that’s really crummy.” Aiden buried his face in Caspian’s shoulder so that his forehead rested on Caspian’s collarbone. “I’ve never really been around mages before, but my mom has. She’ll know what to do to make you feel better, okay?”

Aiden frowned. “I’ll be alright, it’s okay. I’m just overly emotional because I’m tired.” He pulled away from Caspian and wiped his eyes again.

Caspian’s hand lingered on his, just above the elbow. “It’s okay to be tired and emotional,” Caspian assured him, “I’m not offended by it. We’ll take it easy tonight, yeah? My mom’s been cooking all afternoon, so we’ll go in and eat dinner, and then just hang out in my room. We can go out and have fun tomorrow, okay?”

Aiden smiled gratefully. “Okay,” he agreed. “Thank you.”

Caspian shrugged and smiled that lopsided smile of his. “Don’t worry about it. I’m just happy you’re spending the weekend here.”

They waited a few minutes for Aiden’s face to look a little less like he’d just been crying before heading inside. When they walked in the door, Rhonin and Briggs were leaned up against the counter in the kitchen, deep in conversation. Steph sat at the table, head propped up on her palm, amusedly listening to them talk. She turned to them when they entered and rolled her eyes exaggeratedly.

“They will _not_ stop talking,” she moaned, “Casp, make them stop.”

Caspian snickered. “What’re they talking about?”

Steph put her head in her hands. “I don’t even know. Something about—towers? In Sholazar? They’re going on and on about crystals, and mom keeps mentioning Un’Goro.”

Aiden’s eyes widened. “Oh, they’re talking about the giant towers in Sholazar! Your mom must have seen them in her travels. The towers seem each have different crystal colors, each representing a different power and a different section of the Basin. One of the towers was destroyed, and an entire section of the basin is ruined! All the plants are dead, and all of the animals were corrupted. And maybe Un’Goro is connected somehow—” He paused, taking in Stephania’s blank expression. If she had been bored by Rhonin and Briggs’ conversation, he had to be making it even worse. “It—never mind.”

Caspian grinned at him, though, his eyes bright. “Oh, it would be awesome if the two were connected! The weird crystals sound similar. I bet my mom could tell!”

Aiden grinned back, relieved, and nodded. “The crystals in Un’Goro had something to do with the Titans, right? Maybe—maybe Sholazar is connected to the Titans in some way?”

“You guys are nerds,” Steph said matter-of-factly. “There are way too many nerds in this house. You outnumber me.”

“Mom and I outnumber you anyways, Steph,” Caspian pointed out. “It’s not like Aiden and Rhonin made it worse.” Steph rolled her eyes.

Rhonin finally made his way over to them. “I suppose I’ll stop tormenting you with nerd-talk,” he said drily. Aiden fought not to laugh, but Caspian had no such reservations. The boy burst out laughing, loud and hard. Steph just rolled her eyes again and moved to help Briggs with the food. Rhonin turned to Aiden. “Will you be alright?” He asked quietly.

Aiden nodded. “Yeah, I’m okay. Sorry I got nervous.”

Rhonin shrugged. “You’re always nervous. But alright then, I’ll get going. Have a good weekend, kiddo.” He ruffled Aiden’s hair fondly and walked out the door.

Aiden took a deep, steadying breath. Rhonin leaving wasn’t a big deal. He’d been away from Rhonin much longer than two and a half days. He could do this.

“Hello, Aiden!” Briggs called from the kitchen.

Aiden smiled shyly at her. “Hello,” he echoed. They made small talk for a few moments, Briggs enquiring a little about his studies, before Briggs sent Steph outside to pull water from the well.

Caspian jumped at the opportunity the moment Steph was out of earshot. “Mom, Aiden’s a little drained. Rhonin wore him out with some spells before they got here.”

Briggs smiled gently. “I’ll take care of you,” she assured Aiden. “We’ll eat in just a minute, which should fix you up most of the way. Other than that, you just rest tonight, okay?” Both boys nodded in agreement. “Is there anything that helps you when you’re drained? I know each mage is a little different.”

Aiden hesitated. He was a little different than most mages, but hopefully Briggs wouldn’t think he was out of the ordinary. “Being warm helps,” he admitted.

Briggs patted his shoulder. “We have blankets.” Steph’s bootsteps could be heard trudging back up the porch. Briggs smiled at them again. “If you need anything, or don’t feel well, let me know, alright?” She said quietly. Aiden nodded and thanked her.

Caspian led him to the table, where the four of them sat and ate together. Briggs’ cooking far exceeded Aiden’s expectations, and he wolfed down everything on his plate. They sat and talked together for a long while after, until Aiden began to fidget. Briggs must have noticed it; she sent him and Caspian upstairs. Caspian happily showed him his room, pointing out odds and ends that Briggs had given him, souvenirs from her travels. Finally, they sat down on the bed together.

“Well, what do you want to do?” Caspian asked.

Aiden shrugged. “I’m not sure. It’s dark, so we can’t really go outside and do anything.”

Caspian nudged him with his elbow. “You’re supposed to be resting, anyways. How are you feeling?”

Aiden frowned in thought. “I’m okay,” he said. “Still a little tired, but I’m alright.”

“I’m glad,” Caspian said. The two lapsed into silence, each thinking of what they could do. “Oh!” Caspian’s eyes lit up. “I have an idea. Would you like to see the stars here? The stars are different here than in Northrend, or even Alterac.”

Aiden nodded excitedly. “Yes! That would be awesome!” He jumped up off the bed. “You’ll have to show me all the constellations!”

Caspian grinned. “Okay, let’s get blankets!”

The two of them amassed a mound of blankets from Caspian’s bed and the linen cabinet and hauled the lot of them downstairs and out the door, much to Briggs’ amusement. They dumped them in the clearing out in front of the house and arranged them into practically a nest and curled up inside.

“It’s amazing how many stars you can see,” Aiden breathed. “I haven’t seen this many stars in a long time. I’ve hardly left Dalaran at all in the last few years, and the city is too bright to see many stars from.”

Caspian hummed. “It’s the same in Stormwind. I love living out here where you can see the stars every clear night.”

The two of them laid there for a while, Caspian teaching Aiden where all the constellations were. Aiden began to shiver before long, though, chilled by the night air.

“Are you still cold?” Caspian asked.

“Yeah,” Aiden grumbled, “I’m always cold. My cloak is enchanted to keep me warm in Northrend’s weather, but I didn’t bring it with me.”

Caspian huffed. “C’mere.” Aiden jumped when Caspian’s arms wrapped around him. “Sorry, didn’t mean to startle you.” Aiden relaxed and let Caspian pull him closer so that he was curled up on his side with his head resting on Caspian’s shoulder, his knees propped up on Caspian’s thigh, and his left arm wrapped around Caspian’s chest. “Better?”

Aiden hummed. “Yeah, thank you.” He squirmed a little, getting comfortable, before settling in and sighing contentedly. Caspian was _warm_ , and it felt so nice to be curled up against the heat. Aiden’s thoughts drifted as they laid there, watching the stars twinkle, the occasional shooting star appearing overhead. He wondered what Caspian thought of him, exactly. From the beginning, the older boy had been stunningly perceptive of Aiden’s thoughts. He’d seen through the excuse with the book, he’d noticed when Aiden was upset or even nervous. And not only did he notice, but he went out of his way to make him a little more comfortable, when he could. So Caspian must not _dislike_ him, Aiden surmised. But did he really like him? It was odd for Caspian to be friends with someone three years younger than him. There was a solid gap between them, and their interests didn’t overlap all that much aside from their love of books. Aiden couldn’t help but wonder if Caspian was his friend out of pity.

“I can hear you thinking too hard,” Caspian said. “What’s wrong? Are you uncomfortable being this close?”

Aiden snorted. “No, I’m really comfortable. You’re really warm.” Caspian ruffled his hair. “I’m just thinking—is it weird to be friends with a twelve-year-old?”

Caspian shrugged, jostling Aiden slightly. “I don’t know, not really? I mean…yeah, you’re younger than me, but you’re my sister’s age. I spend a lot of time with her, so I’m used to it, in a way. Besides, you’re way more mature than my sister.” Aiden snickered. “I’m serious! You act older than you are.” It was quiet for a few moments. “Is it weird being friends with a fifteen-year-old?” Caspian asked.

Aiden shook his head. “All my friends were older than me, when I was a kid. I’m used to spending time with people who are older than me.”

Caspian hummed. “Are you still friends with them?”

Aiden frowned, his eyes growing misty. He hadn’t really meant to bring them up. “Well…no. I think they were killed,” he said quietly.

Caspian went very still beneath him. “What happened?” He asked softly.

Aiden screwed his eyes shut and buried his face in Caspian’s shirt. “I—I was running away from…” He broke off, unsure of how to explain without giving everything away. “I didn’t see what happened. One minute they were there with me, the next they were gone. Can…can we not talk about it?”

Caspian squeezed him so tightly he thought he might burst. Aiden felt safe there, encased in the older boy’s arms. “Of course. I’m so sorry,” Caspian whispered, “that must have been terrifying. I’m sorry you lost your friends.” Aiden could only cry quietly into Caspian’s shirt. They laid there for a long while, curled up together under the stars while Aiden calmed down. Briggs eventually called for them to come inside and sleep, and they reluctantly separated and untangled themselves from their nest of blankets. Together they carried the pile back inside and upstairs to Caspian’s room.

“One downside to staying at my house is that I don’t have an extra mattress like you do,” Caspian admitted sheepishly. “If you’re uncomfortable, I can sleep on the floor.”

Aiden frowned. “I almost fell asleep on you in the yard. I think I’ll be fine.” Caspian chuckled. They changed into sleep-clothes and climbed under the blankets, hugging once before settling down to sleep. Aiden fell asleep much quicker than he usually did, lulled by his friend’s warmth and exhausted by the day’s events.

* * *

Morning came much quicker than Aiden would have liked. Aiden’s household, with the exception of Vereesa, did not rise with the sun. The mages of Dalaran were accustomed to making magic lights so they could read in the dark; thus, many mages stayed up late and rose long after the sun.

Apparently, Briggs’ house was not the same.

Aiden was awakened by too-bright sunlight streaming in through open curtains. He might have tried to ignore it, or shove his face into the pillow, if not for the sounds of an active household spilling in from the doorway. Voices, though muted, made a constant murmur from downstairs, only interrupted by the scrape of a spoon or the sizzling of food in a pan. Besides, the sun was _horribly_ bright.

Aiden groaned. “Why would you put a window facing east?”

A snicker sounded from the other side of the room. “I was wondering when you’d wake up. I decided to let you sleep, after we stayed up so late last night, but I’ve been up for almost an hour!” Aiden squinted through the sunlight to see Caspian curled up in a chair on the far side of the room. The older boy was already dressed in a baggy long-sleeved white undershirt with a blue vest over it, and simple brown breeches. “Are you hungry? I think breakfast is almost ready,” Caspian added.

Aiden groaned again and flopped over dramatically, prompting a snort of laughter from Caspian.

“C’mon,” Caspian crossed the room to poke at him, “up with you!”

“No,” Aiden said petulantly, crossing his arms and sticking his bottom lip out in an over-the-top pout. Caspian chuckled and pulled Aiden’s foot—and by extension, the rest of him—towards the edge of the bed. Aiden choked out a warbled squawk as he was unceremoniously pulled off the bed in a tangle of limbs and blankets. “Hey!” He managed through a mouthful of blanket, “No fair!”

Caspian dissolved into hysterical laughter, only made worse when Aiden attempted to disentangle himself from the twisted sheets. Aiden finally joined in when he took in the state of his hair, which was sticking out in all directions from the static. Together they sat on the floor by the bed, holding their stomachs with the force of their laughter.

“That noise!” Caspian gasped out eventually, “what the hell was that noise?”

Aiden shook his head helplessly. “I don’t know! I didn’t mean to!” The squawk had just slipped out of him, completely involuntarily.

Caspian wiped tears out of his eyes. “It sounded like a startled raven! All warbly and high pitched!” The exclamation set off another round of laughter, both boys wiping tears from their faces.

A snort sounded from behind them. “You know, I don’t even want to know what happened here,” Briggs stated drily from the doorway. Aiden turned to see the woman, wearing a worn apron, leaning against the doorframe with an amused look on her face. “Breakfast is about ready; wash up and come on downstairs.” She disappeared back down the stairs.

“I’m never going to get the tangles out of my hair,” Aiden lamented, prompting another round of laughter from Caspian.

“It looks like a bird made a nest in it!” Caspian laughed.

Aiden grinned. “Maybe the surprised raven from earlier did it?” He teased. Caspian snickered one last time before standing and offering Aiden a hand up. Aiden dressed as quickly as he was able and tied his hair up with a leather string. He’d never be able to untangle it before breakfast; he’d have to try later. They rushed downstairs and settled at the table just as Briggs brought out a hearty breakfast of eggs, bacon, and diced potatoes with herbs. Once again, Aiden practically scarfed his food.

This time, Briggs commented on his appetite. “Do you not usually get this much food at home?” She asked tentatively.

Aiden hastily swallowed a mouthful of bacon. “My parents don’t cook as well as you do,” he said bluntly. “Your food tastes amazing.”

Briggs beamed at the praise. “I’m glad you like it. You could use some more meat on your bones; you’re too skinny.”

“I’ve always been skinny,” Aiden shrugged. “Before I met Rhonin, I was even thinner; I’ve actually gotten better since I came to live in Dalaran.” Both Briggs and Caspian looked oddly sad, for some reason, but Aiden dismissed it. “At first, Rhonin used to tease me that I’d get plump, because I ate so much, but I never did. I’m not sure I’m capable of putting on much more weight than this,” he said thoughtfully. When he’d first come to Dalaran, he’d been so desperate for food that he would scarf down whatever he was given. Rhonin and Vereesa, not understanding that he was eating so much purely out of instinct, would give him as much food as he could eat. Even then, he only grew to a healthy weight by the time he learned to eat normal amounts. Compared to Caspian and Steph, he was stick-skinny, but he was a far cry from the half-starved child he’d been.  

Briggs hummed in understanding and piled a little more bacon on his plate.

When they were finished with breakfast, Caspian dragged him outside to show him around. They spent the morning wandering the forest, Aiden trailing nervously behind the older boy. Rhonin had just given him a lecture on all the nasty things that dwelled in the forest, and now he and Caspian were wandering around without supervision in it. He gritted his teeth and reminded himself to trust Caspian; Briggs would never have let them wander off if she didn’t think it was safe, and besides, Caspian was an experienced fighter. The boy had even brought a small sword with him, though he wore no protective armor.

Caspian finally stepped out from in front of him and threw his arms out to his sides. “Here it is!” Aiden peered past him and took in the lake in front of them. It had a large island in the middle of it, with and strange stone ruins nestled between the trees. Caspian grinned. “Isn’t it beautiful? It’s my favorite place in the world, and it’s not too far from home.”

“It’s your favorite?” Aiden asked, looking around appreciatively.

Caspian shrugged. “It’s pretty. It’s also really quiet, and peaceful. The sound of the water lapping against the shore is soothing. I come here a lot when I’m stressed. My mom and Steph and I camp in the middle sometimes, but for the most part, they leave this spot to me.”

Aiden thought of the little clearing in Alterac Mountains where Rhonin and he had snuck to countless times before, during, and after Dalaran’s self-isolation in the bubble. Rhonin had originally teleported him there when Aiden had an anxiety attack in a crowded street; it was the most open and quiet place that Rhonin could think of at the time. After that, the clearing had become their happy place, so to speak. They went there to practice spells, sometimes, and also to take time away from the city and breathe. Aiden couldn’t help thinking of how reluctant he’d be to bring anyone, even Caspian, into that little clearing; it was his and Rhonin’s to share.

“It’s wonderful, here,” Aiden breathed. “Thank you for bringing me here! We don’t have to stay if you want to keep it for yourself.”

Caspian turned and gave him a beaming smile. “Nah, it’s alright! I wanted to share it with you. It’s spring, and I wanted to go swimming—if you know how to swim?” Caspian added as an afterthought.

Aiden hesitated. He knew how to swim, yes, he just got cold very easily and was difficult to warm back up. He’d made the mistake of going swimming in Alterac once during a camping trip. The water had been icy cold, and the sun wasn’t warm enough in the mountains to warm him afterwards. He’d gotten hypothermia and fully ruined their camping trip. Also, weren’t they in danger?

“Is it safe to go swimming here?” Aiden asked hesitantly.

“Why wouldn’t it be?”

Aiden shrugged. “I thought there were a lot of dangerous things living in the forest. Murlocs, wolves, bears, the like.”

Caspian smiled reassuringly. “Most of those things only come out at night. And with the noise we’re making, I promise you everything is keeping as far away from us as possible.”

Aiden sighed, only partially convinced that they weren’t in danger. Alterac Mountains had been dangerous, he recalled, and Rhonin had never let him out of sight. He reminded himself to trust Caspian, again. The older boy wouldn’t let them get hurt.

Caspian peeled off his clothes and dove into the clear water. Aiden noted with satisfaction that the lake wasn’t terribly deep, and while it would go over his head, there likely wasn’t much living in it besides small fish. Aiden rid himself of his own clothes and waded in, surprised when the water was nowhere near as cold as the water had been in Alterac.

“It’s warm!” He exclaimed.

Caspian gave him an odd look. “It’s not icy cold,” he said, “but it’s not really all that warm.”

Aiden swam over to him and grinned sheepishly. “Compared to Alterac’s water, it’s very nice!”

Caspian snorted. “You swam in Alterac Mountains? Are you crazy?”

“I got hypothermia,” Aiden admitted, “it wasn’t much fun.”

Caspian laughed outright. “I can imagine!”

The two swam around the perimeter of the lake. Caspian was obviously a much better swimmer than Aiden, having more experience, but Aiden was able to keep afloat well enough. He watched in awe as Caspian did tricks in the water. First he did a somersault, then a backwards somersault, and then a handstand. Aiden begged him to teach him. It took quite some time, but eventually Aiden managed to do a haphazard somersault without ending up sideways.

When Aiden got cold, they clambered back up the bank and laid on the grass, letting the sun dry them off. Aiden flopped down on his stomach and practically melted, enjoying basking in the sun.

Caspian hummed, making Aiden glance over at him. The older boy was stretched out on his back, unconcerned by his lack of clothing. Aiden didn’t consider himself a prude, but he felt a little embarrassed; Caspian was far more well-build than he. Not that Caspian was as muscled as his sister; his build was more of a subtle strength.

“Comfy?” Aiden asked.

Caspian hummed again. “The sun is nice. I could fall asleep here, but I might get sunburnt.”

Aiden huffed. “I’m probably already burnt.”

Caspian turned towards him and grinned. “You are pretty pale,” he noted.

“It’s cold in Dalaran,” Aiden pointed out, “I never wear anything but long sleeves.”

“That’s fair,” Caspian conceded with a nod.

They lay there for a little while longer before they put their clothes back on, and when they were dressed, Aiden happily followed Caspian back home.

**Author's Note:**

> I am going to be honest...my writing schedule is horribly sporadic. I cannot tell you when updates will appear for this. I hope to get things out quickly, but I'm taking a good amount of units at school and I'm not sure how much time I'll be able to dedicate to writing.


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